1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a camera having an automatic film loading function.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has been known to impart an automatic film loading function to the film transport device of a camera. This function is performed by reading either some code provided on a film cartridge or the like or the position of a switch which turns on when the film cartridge is inserted into the camera body; and by automatically advancing the film in blank in the direction of winding o the film (hereinafter referred to as an automatic blank advance process) when the back lid of the camera is closed. Some of the known film transport devices are arranged to rewind the film automatically back to a given position if the film cannot be advanced by a given amount within a given period of time during the automatic blank advance process.
Meanwhile, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. HEI 02-082233 has disclosed a method of completing the rewinding of the film with the leader part of the film left outside the film cartridge if the film is rewound with a manual rewinding switch turned on before a shot is not taken for any one frame after completion of the automatic blank advance process.
However, all the known film transport devices require that the photographer manually pull the film out from the cartridge to a given position before the automatic blank advance process. Therefore, the leader part of the film is sometimes inserted too much or set in a wrong position deviating from a correct setting position. In such a case, the film comes to a stop halfway in the automatic blank advance process or cannot be moved at all by the automatic blank advance process.
With the film coming to a stop halfway in the automatic blank advance process, the film might be exposed to light or damaged when the photographer takes the film out from the camera. Further, if the film is rewound with the manual rewinding switch turned on, the leader part of the film tends to be completely taken into the film cartridge, thus causing inconveniences. Even in the case of the film transport device of the kind arranged to leave the leader part of the film outside the cartridge after completion of film rewinding, the photographer is required to have the trouble of taking out the film by opening the back lid of the camera, adjusting the film length as desired, setting the film in position again and closing the back lid. Further, with the film subjected to the automatic blank advance process after the film is thus set in position again, the blank advance process is apt to fail again because the film has been pulled out and set in position by the photographer.